VOB to AVI won't play in PPro at DVinfo.net

Robert Bobson · October 18th, 2009, 08:20 AM

I have a short film on DVD. I converted the VOB file to AVI using AutoGK, and if I double click the resulting AVI file, it will open and play in windows media player.

But if I import it into PPro, it doesn't play - the time seems to be compressed. the audio plays for a few seconds then skips ahead, and the video skips ahead even faster.

I'm not sure how to approach this because I'm not really sure what's happening.

I imported it into AE, and I'm attempting to render it out as an AVI file - but it's saying it will take 10 hours for a 20 minute film.

any ideas?

Don't know what camera this was originally shot on

Tripp Woelfel · October 18th, 2009, 08:58 AM

I suspect that something went wonky in the conversion to avi. I have had avi files play in the WMP that PP didn't like. Try the conversion again and double check your settings using the conversion tool you used before. If the same thing happens try another tool. I've had good results using Nero 9. It generates a dead vanilla avi file that I can use successfully in PP.

Robert Bobson · October 18th, 2009, 10:37 AM

thanks for the reply. I found some freeware called Handbrake that's open-source VOB to AVI converter. I'll give that a try.

And it looks like AE is able to convert whatever format the AVI file is into "standard" AVI that WILL play in PPro.

Noa Put · October 18th, 2009, 02:26 PM

Why not renaming the ".vob" file to ".mpg" and then import it into premiere?

Tripp Woelfel · October 18th, 2009, 08:55 PM

"Why not renaming the ".vob" file to ".mpg" and then import it into premiere?"

Doh!

Battle Vaughan · October 18th, 2009, 10:06 PM

Might be a codec problem...if renaming the vob doesn't work, you might try (freeware) mpegStreamclip from Squared5.com...much handier than handbrake, it has image preview and a number of excellent conversion features for vob files...I think renaming the vob will get you video but won't (iirc) convert the demuxed audio file and remux them into one file that you can edit....away from my stuff at the moment, or I would have checked this out before posting..../ Battle Vaughan

(Later) (revised) Renamed vob to mpeg worked ok. Conversions to avi and dv stream made in mpegStreamclip play back perfectly in VLC, in streamclip, etc. But when I put any of them .... vob, avi or dv ... on the PPro timeline they play back as you describe above...audio is right rate but skips, the video seems to be double speed....

(Still later) Duh, in my haste, I didn't render the files. The vob and dv files play properly on the timeline when rendered. The avi (apple pjpeg codec, default, there are numerous other choices in mpegstreamclip which I will try another time) still plays at double speed when rendered....so, try rendering the vob on the timeline and see..../bv

Robert Bobson · October 19th, 2009, 07:18 AM

I renamed VOB to MPG, which worked for the video but not the audio.

I tried Handbrake - but it gave me some video distortion.

so I'll try mpegStreamclip, just to see if it does the job. The first version that I imported into AE and re-rendered out as an AVI file plays fine.

(update_

The MPEG_streamclip progam asks me to uninstall Quicktime and install Quicktime Alternative 1.81. I see there are many more recent versions of Quicktime Alternative - why wouldn't I want to install the latest version rather than 1.81?

Battle Vaughan · October 19th, 2009, 12:17 PM

You can use Quicktime from Apple, but you have to buy the mpeg decoder separately. The alternative Quicktime app is only compatable with mpegStreamclip with ver. 1.81, the later versions apparently aren't, copy from their site:

"Apple QuickTime 7 is the official distribution of QuickTime. This free installer is recommended, however it is a very large file (more than 20 MB without iTunes) and it does not include MPEG-2 decoding (you have to buy the MPEG-2 playback component separately from Apple, for $19.99).

KL QuickTime Alternative is a free unofficial distribution of QuickTime. It has a quite smaller installer (less than 15 MB) and includes MPEG-2 decoding in the "Additional plugins". When you install it, be sure to enable the checkbox "Additional plugins", otherwise the MPEG-2 decoder will not be installed. You can choose either the full or the lite version.

THE LATEST VERSION OF QUICKTIME ALTERNATIVE IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH MPEG STREAMCLIP; PLEASE DOWNLOAD QUICKTIME ALTERNATIVE 1.81 USING THE ABOVE LINK."

Funny, and to my suprise, the vob file played with audio in PPro CCS4 just fine; and worked also when renamed to mpeg. I have had occasions where a vob file wouldn't bring the audio with it; it happened to work with the file I had on hand, I guess.

The avi file I made in mpegstrclp did the odd-fast-video thing....must be a codec thing. /bv

David Stoneburner · October 19th, 2009, 02:04 PM

There is a hack to get Premiere Pro to see the audio from the vob renamed to mpg. I don't have it in front of me right now, but you take the ad2ac3dec.dll and copy it from Encore into the Premiere folder. Basically it allows Premiere to see the dolby digital audio file. The only problem you may find for something that is long format, is some frames dropped between vob connections.

Sherri Nestico · October 19th, 2009, 08:12 PM

I've never had any sound problems changing extension from .vob to .mpg in PPCS4. That's odd.

The hack that David mentions is a fix originally meant for CS3. I don't think it will work on CS4, at least it didn't on our machines at work.

October 18th, 2009, 08:20 AM	#1
Robert Bobson Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Bay City, Michigan Posts: 585	VOB to AVI won't play in PPro I have a short film on DVD. I converted the VOB file to AVI using AutoGK, and if I double click the resulting AVI file, it will open and play in windows media player. But if I import it into PPro, it doesn't play - the time seems to be compressed. the audio plays for a few seconds then skips ahead, and the video skips ahead even faster. I'm not sure how to approach this because I'm not really sure what's happening. I imported it into AE, and I'm attempting to render it out as an AVI file - but it's saying it will take 10 hours for a 20 minute film. any ideas? Don't know what camera this was originally shot on

October 18th, 2009, 10:06 PM	#6
Battle Vaughan Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami, FL USA Posts: 1,505	Might be a codec problem...if renaming the vob doesn't work, you might try (freeware) mpegStreamclip from Squared5.com...much handier than handbrake, it has image preview and a number of excellent conversion features for vob files...I think renaming the vob will get you video but won't (iirc) convert the demuxed audio file and remux them into one file that you can edit....away from my stuff at the moment, or I would have checked this out before posting..../ Battle Vaughan (Later) (revised) Renamed vob to mpeg worked ok. Conversions to avi and dv stream made in mpegStreamclip play back perfectly in VLC, in streamclip, etc. But when I put any of them .... vob, avi or dv ... on the PPro timeline they play back as you describe above...audio is right rate but skips, the video seems to be double speed.... (Still later) Duh, in my haste, I didn't render the files. The vob and dv files play properly on the timeline when rendered. The avi (apple pjpeg codec, default, there are numerous other choices in mpegstreamclip which I will try another time) still plays at double speed when rendered....so, try rendering the vob on the timeline and see..../bv Last edited by Battle Vaughan; October 18th, 2009 at 11:08 PM. Reason: addendum, revise to simplify

October 18th, 2009, 08:58 AM	#2
Tripp Woelfel Trustee Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: North Conway, NH Posts: 1,745	I suspect that something went wonky in the conversion to avi. I have had avi files play in the WMP that PP didn't like. Try the conversion again and double check your settings using the conversion tool you used before. If the same thing happens try another tool. I've had good results using Nero 9. It generates a dead vanilla avi file that I can use successfully in PP.

October 18th, 2009, 10:37 AM	#3
Robert Bobson Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Bay City, Michigan Posts: 585	thanks for the reply. I found some freeware called Handbrake that's open-source VOB to AVI converter. I'll give that a try. And it looks like AE is able to convert whatever format the AVI file is into "standard" AVI that WILL play in PPro.

October 18th, 2009, 02:26 PM	#4
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,510	Why not renaming the ".vob" file to ".mpg" and then import it into premiere?

October 18th, 2009, 08:55 PM	#5
Tripp Woelfel Trustee Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: North Conway, NH Posts: 1,745	"Why not renaming the ".vob" file to ".mpg" and then import it into premiere?" Doh!

October 19th, 2009, 07:18 AM	#7
Robert Bobson Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Bay City, Michigan Posts: 585	I renamed VOB to MPG, which worked for the video but not the audio. I tried Handbrake - but it gave me some video distortion. so I'll try mpegStreamclip, just to see if it does the job. The first version that I imported into AE and re-rendered out as an AVI file plays fine. (update_ The MPEG_streamclip progam asks me to uninstall Quicktime and install Quicktime Alternative 1.81. I see there are many more recent versions of Quicktime Alternative - why wouldn't I want to install the latest version rather than 1.81?

October 19th, 2009, 12:17 PM	#8
Battle Vaughan Trustee Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Miami, FL USA Posts: 1,505	You can use Quicktime from Apple, but you have to buy the mpeg decoder separately. The alternative Quicktime app is only compatable with mpegStreamclip with ver. 1.81, the later versions apparently aren't, copy from their site: "Apple QuickTime 7 is the official distribution of QuickTime. This free installer is recommended, however it is a very large file (more than 20 MB without iTunes) and it does not include MPEG-2 decoding (you have to buy the MPEG-2 playback component separately from Apple, for $19.99). KL QuickTime Alternative is a free unofficial distribution of QuickTime. It has a quite smaller installer (less than 15 MB) and includes MPEG-2 decoding in the "Additional plugins". When you install it, be sure to enable the checkbox "Additional plugins", otherwise the MPEG-2 decoder will not be installed. You can choose either the full or the lite version. THE LATEST VERSION OF QUICKTIME ALTERNATIVE IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH MPEG STREAMCLIP; PLEASE DOWNLOAD QUICKTIME ALTERNATIVE 1.81 USING THE ABOVE LINK." Funny, and to my suprise, the vob file played with audio in PPro CCS4 just fine; and worked also when renamed to mpeg. I have had occasions where a vob file wouldn't bring the audio with it; it happened to work with the file I had on hand, I guess. The avi file I made in mpegstrclp did the odd-fast-video thing....must be a codec thing. /bv

October 19th, 2009, 02:04 PM	#9
David Stoneburner Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 493	There is a hack to get Premiere Pro to see the audio from the vob renamed to mpg. I don't have it in front of me right now, but you take the ad2ac3dec.dll and copy it from Encore into the Premiere folder. Basically it allows Premiere to see the dolby digital audio file. The only problem you may find for something that is long format, is some frames dropped between vob connections.

October 19th, 2009, 08:12 PM	#10
Sherri Nestico Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Port St. Lucie, FL Posts: 167	I've never had any sound problems changing extension from .vob to .mpg in PPCS4. That's odd. The hack that David mentions is a fix originally meant for CS3. I don't think it will work on CS4, at least it didn't on our machines at work.